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Re: Recommended Taxon List Item Keys

Could someone explain why a species could have several recommended_taxon_list_item_keys (RTLIK's).  If it's a recommended key for a speces, surely it should only have one?

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Steve Hannah - GIS and Data Infrastructure Officer
The Wildlife Information Centre

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Re: Recommended Taxon List Item Keys

Each taxonomic concept should have exactly one RTLIK, assuming that the dictionary data is perfect. So unless there are different interpretations of a species being represented, then you are correct a species should only have one. But, perfecting the dictionary content is an almost impossible task so I suspect the examples you have found are errors.

John van Breda
Biodiverse IT

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Re: Recommended Taxon List Item Keys

Steve

If you can give a few examples of those you have come across it will help to make sure we are covering the situtation in the revised proposals for the Dictionary.  I can also try and explain what is happening in specific cases.

Mike

Mike Weideli

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Re: Recommended Taxon List Item Keys

I had a look and checked it with Juniperus communis.  Within the Index_Taxon_Name table there are two entries which have the same Preferred Name and Actual Name.  However, when i looked at the codes in our GIS Export, one is Juniperus communis and the other is Juniperus communis ssp communis.  This looks like it explains why the codes are different for the same species, I'm just curious as to why the subspecies name doesn't appear in the table if you query it within sql server.

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Steve Hannah - GIS and Data Infrastructure Officer
The Wildlife Information Centre

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Re: Recommended Taxon List Item Keys

Okay, been a while since I've posted in this thread, but I've been looking through again so here goes.

RTLIK - NHMSYS0000445658
Can refer to Preferred Name - Juniperus communis, Actual Name - Common Juniper
or Preferred Name - Juniperus communis subsp. communis, Actual Name - Common Juniper
or Preferred Name - Juniperus communis subsp. communis, Actual Name - Juniper
or Preferred Name - Juniperus communis subsp. communis, Actual Name - Juniperus communis subsp. communis
or Preferred Name - Juniperus communis subsp. communis, Actual Name - Juniperus communis subsp. eu-communis
or Preferred Name - Juniperus communis subsp. communis, Actual Name - Juniperus sabina.

I could understand it if all the preferred names were the same and only the actual names varied, but there is one out of that list that isn't the same, yet has the same RTLIK code.  Why is this?

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Steve Hannah - GIS and Data Infrastructure Officer
The Wildlife Information Centre

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Re: Recommended Taxon List Item Keys

Okay, the extent of this problem is bigger than I thought.  Here are some examples:

Genus RTLIKs that are also attached to various other species usually within genus.

NHMSYS0000451359 – Salix
NHMSYS0000439296 – Carex
NHMSYS0000443772 – Glyceria

Species RTLIKs that are also attached to other species
NHMSYS0000449972 – Ranunculus ficaria.  Attached to other subspecies.
NHMSYS0000453141 – Stellaria media.  Attached to Spergularia marina.

If you run this sql query it will you show you the extent of the problem

SELECT PREFERRED_NAME, ACTUAL_NAME, RECOMMENDED_TAXON_LIST_ITEM_KEY
FROM INDEX_TAXON_NAME
WHERE RECOMMENDED_TAXON_LIST_ITEM_KEY = '*'

where * is the relevant RTLIK code.

You'll see that despite several entries for the correct species, there are multiple other species names that appear with this code, usually only subspecies but occasionally entirely different species!  Anyone have any idea why this is?

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Steve Hannah - GIS and Data Infrastructure Officer
The Wildlife Information Centre